Last Exit in New Jersey

Nice young ladies really shouldn "t be dumping bodies at sea. Then again, that isn "t stopping Hazel Moran, and she can "t figure where anyone got the idea she was nice to begin with. Raised aboard a schooner and riding shotgun in her father "s old 18-wheeler, there "s little on the road or water that she can "t hand≤ it "s her people skills that need work. Normally that "s not an issue “ behind the wheel of a Kenworth most people tend to leave her alone. But when Hazel and her father become the targets of some unsavory characters hunting for her blue-haired cousin, their stolen tractor-trailer truck and a delivery that never arrived, she knows it "s time to heed the lessons learned from her favorite hard-boiled paperbacks: playing nice will only end in tears.For ten sweltering days Hazel navigates the Garden State "s highways and shorelines, contending with a suspiciously wealthy stranger, white trash, Born Agains, appliance salesmen, an unstable stalker and his curiously troublesome companion. It "ll take all her ingenuity, not to mention some fishing tackle and high voltage, if Hazel hopes to protect her family and unravel this tangle of greed and betrayal. And anyone who gets too close, no matter their intent, will discover just how dangerous Hazel truly is as she sets in motion a twisted plan to uncover the truth, settle some scores, and if possible not wind up dead in the process.Somewhat hard-boiled, slightly noir, Last Exit in New Jersey is an offbeat tale that travels from a Delaware Bay ghost-town to metropolitan north Jersey, where boats and big rigs set the scene for danger, suspense, dark humor and an unlikely bit of romance.Named one of the top three mysteries of 2010 ~ Red Adept Reviews Annual Indie Awards SA mystery in the John D. MacDonald tradition “ both in its largely watery setting and tone, the novel also brings to mind Dashiell Hammett in the complexity of its plot, and even Stieg Larsson in its use of a strong young woman with an attitude as a main character. Last Exit In New Jersey is well-paced, densely-plotted story that mystery-thriller fans will enjoy immensely. ~ Alex Austin, author of The Red Album of Asbury Park Remixed Author's blog: http://cegrundler.wordpress.com/